John Dudley: Strength vs. strength highlights this Super Bowl matchup

- I think it's risky to expect history to dictate how this Super Bowl matchup will unfold.

The Broncos had the NFL's No. 1 offense during the regular season and the Seahawks had the No. 1 defense.

The last time the top-ranked offense and defense met in the Super Bowl was after the 2002 season. The Buccaneers, with the top defense (and 24th-ranked offense), beat Oakland and the league's top-ranked offense 48-21.

The Bucs' point total included three interception return touchdowns.

What that means is, as usual, turnovers are a great equalizer.

- Peyton Manning and the Broncos haven't faced a defense as good as Seattle's this season. Not even close, really.

Denver played three top-15 defenses -- the No. 7 Texans, No. 12 Ravens and No. 14 Titans. The Broncos scored an average of 45.6 points in those games, all lopsided wins.

It's worth noting that none of those teams finished above .500, but that doesn't change the fact that statistically above-average defensive teams enjoyed no advantage whatsoever against the Broncos.

One difference is the Seahawks represent the double-edged challenge of the NFL's stingiest defense, yardage-wise, and it's most ball-hawking. Seattle forced 39 turnovers during the regular season, three more than any other team, plus four more in their two playoff wins.

The Texans, Ravens and Titans all had turnover ratios of zero or worse, and none had more than 25 takeaways.

- One more reason the Seahawks could create problems for Manning: Unlike the Patriots on Sunday, the Seahawks cover very effectively on the back end of the defense without giving up the ability to bring pressure.

Seattle won't be afraid to challenge Manning with blitzes because Pete Carroll trusts cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell on the outside in man coverage.

- Manning has never had as many weapons as he has this season, and you can argue that no team has ever been more difficult to defend.

This is the first time in Manning's career he's had a 1,000-yard rusher (Knowshon Moreno) and four receivers with at least 700 yards (Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Julius Thomas and Wes Welker).

What's even more amazing -- and what made the Broncos such a challenge to game-plan -- is that all five of those players scored at least 10 touchdowns.

Whether Manning simply elevated the level of the skill players around him or benefitted from one of the deepest offensive lineups ever fielded is debatable.

One approach to defending an offense like the Broncos' is to try to remove a threat and make them beat you with something else. That theory breaks down when there are too many threats to deal with effectively.

That's why, when the Patriots dropped back and tried to cover everyone on Sunday, Manning -- who wasn't sacked and barely pressured -- simply found the one player the Pats lost track of on nearly every snap.